Stepping back into John, Spartan-117's green Mjolnir armor in Halo 4 feels as good as it ever has. The crisp response of the control makes mowing down countless alien enemies a thrilling adventure.
In some ways Halo 4 feels more like a true sequel to the original Halo: Combat Evolved than Halo 2 did when it released back in 2004. It is an exceptional shooter that frequently challenges players to strategize against enemy forces.
The first Halo game had many extraordinary and exceptional moments, where gamers could approach a battle with different tactics. One gamer might use the scope on his pistol to snipe enemies and stay out of harm's way. Another gamer might run into the firefight with his or her assault rifle blazing.
Halo 4 captures this gameplay element just as good or better than the original and its sequels. The Prometheans create enough of a new challenge that figuring out the best weapon combinations and attack methods for each battle is vital to the player's success.
I'm not badmouthing Halo 2. At the time of its release, the sequel crafted the most complete online multiplayer component in console first-person-shooters and was a gigantic step forward in Halo's multiplayer aspect. Halo 2's multiplayer is arguably the best in the series. But the campaign was short and in many ways it was a slight disappointment when compared to the original.
Halo 4 reestablishes Halo as one of the best single-player FPS and continues the franchise's online legacy with new modes and free episodic content. The game's environments are spectacularly detailed and massive in scale, allowing gamers to truly choose their own path in warfare.
This time around the story is more personal for the Master Chief and his AI best friend Cortana. The Chief must save humanity from an ancient evil and Cortana from rampancy, a condition that plagues all UNSC AI constructs after seven years of existence. This is why Halo 4 rivals some of the best Sci-Fi stories told in any medium. The Master Chief is humanized in this game. I know some fans won't like it, but it is not like he the guy is talking about his feeling 99 percent of the time. John-117 finally shows why he continues to fight. I have always enjoyed the lore behind the Halo franchise and I feel that 343 Industries has expanded on the universe and structured a compelling story that is far more consistent than previous games in the series.
Graphically the game is stunning and is the first Halo title to compete with other AAA blockbusters on this console generation. The game has some dazzling lighting and breathtaking particle effects. It truly is the most beautiful Halo game ever created and one of the best looking games of the year. The Forerunner Planet is amazing and has gorgeous valleys. It definitely brought back some memories of landing on the first planet in the original Halo.
Where Halo 4 is unmatched is sound. If you have read other reviews of the game it is pretty much one of the most herald things in the game and for good reason. Every step you take in the game is an audio marvel. The guns sound incredibly and the Covenants ' jargon is less humorous, further extraterrestrial and more audible than in past games. The musical score is also amazing even though it is slightly different from past Halo game's it still mends perfectly with the tone of the game.
The game's enemies are some of the best to date in the series and having the Covenant back just feels right. Yes in Halo 3, humans and the Covenant made peace but it has been four plus years since Master Chief took his cryogenic nap. These Covenant members are also a more radically set of the aliens races. The Promethean enemies is where the game really shines. The high floating Watchers regenerate fallen Knights and the Crawlers are fast-paced nuisances that flank you from behind.
You will have plenty of weapons to blast these villains to bits, but ammunition is sparse. Running out of bullets create tension and panic filled moments as you face off against a small squad of enemies. But it also forces gamers to use a tactical approach and find the best weapon combinations. It is better to take out Crawlers and Grunts with the assault rifle and use weapons with better accuracy for Jackals and Watchers.
As for the competitive multiplayer section, gamers now battle for points rather than kills, but you can adjust and make a custom game that is more like previous titles by adjust the point values. The game randomly drops in powerful weapons so there is no more rushing to a certain point on the map to grab that weapon. Regular favorites like Slayer, Oddball, and Capture the Flag have returned and are joined by Regicide and Dominion. Regicide puts a bounty on the top-player in the game and creates some action packed firefight around his or her location. Dominion is more of strategic territorial game mode, where players have to take over a part of the map and can enforce with unlockable defensive features.
My personal favorite new mode is "Spartan Ops," an episodic cooperative experience. Spartan Ops is the TV Series to Halo 4's blockbuster movie-like campaign. It is highly-addictive to play on your own or online. Each of the five chapters offers a few objectives like shut down turrets or clear the area of enemies. The mission can be completed in 10-15 minutes and rewards players with upgrades for their Spartan. Achievements can also be earn for getting 25 kills in a row or sniping a certain amount grunts and etc.
Halo 4 is amazing and I give the game a perfect score a 10. I haven't had this much fun with a FPS in years. The graphics and sound are stunning and it is the best experience I have had with a Halo game since the original released back in 2001.The game has some minor flaws like its checkpoint system putting way back at the begining of level when you die, but that is part of the game's charm and not enough for me to dock even a partial point.
Halo 4 is now available worldwide as of Nov. 6 for the Xbox 360. If you want to more about how 343 Industries has attempted to make Halo 4 feel familiar and brand new at the same time, read more here. No more Master Chief in future Halo games? Maybe read about it here. Learn how you can earn free Microsoft points by playing Halo 4's multiplayer mode here.
Have you seen Microsoft's "Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn?" The new web series consist of five web segments. Here are all the segments; Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4 and Episode 5.
Watch Spartan Ops episode two's trailer below and comment on your experiences with the new mode or anything about Halo 4 in general.
